Form clamp



Feb. 25, 1969 T, D, TAYLO'R 3,429,548

'FQRM CLAMP Filed Feb. 13, 1967 'L ,y m /f -FT' IZ] l N VEN TOR. 72H/fw 27a/mi United States Patent O 3,429,548 FORM CLAMP Thelmer D. Taylor, 1382 N. Sierra Bonita, Pasadena, Calif. 91104 Filed Feb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 615,406 U.S. Cl. 249-192 Int. Cl. E04g 17/02, 1.7/12

9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to the art of concrete forms and, more in particular, to a concrete form clamp for use in holding adjacent studs of two concrete form panels together and for holding a waler.

Concrete forms usually take the form of side-by-side plywood panels which present a parallel surface to contain concrete. Each of the panels has a vertical stud along the edges which abut an adjacent panel. These studs are attached to the panels and are normally nailed together to insure a tight joint between adjacent panels. To brace the panels and to form a continuous at surface on their concrete sides, walers are employed. Each waler, usually constituted of two parallel but spaced apart two-by-fours, is laterally disposed along the length of the forms. It is the usual practice to nail the walers to the studs.

The practice of nailing both the studs to the panels and the walers to the studs is wasteful in energy and materials. Besides the time spent in fabricating a continuous form of several panels by this technique, a great deal of time is expended in removing the Walers and the studs from each other in the breaking down of a concrete form. In addition, this breaking down of the forms is often wasteful of materials, for it results in damage to the walers, form panels and studs Attempts have been made in the past to provide concrete form clamps to avoid the necessity for nailing while maintaining economy in installation and removal. For the most part these devices have not been successful because they are not easily used, require a metal-bearing surface, or are relatively expensive.

Summary of the invention The concrete form clamp of the subject invention includes first and second spaced apart plates. Each of these plates has an inner surface which is adapted to bear against a lateral surface of one of a pair of adjacent studs. An end section extends outwardly from the portion of the plates which have the stud bearing surfaces. Clamping means are associated with these end sections such that the plates can be drawn into clamping relationship with the studs along their stud bearing surfaces. A waler holding member is aiiixed to one of the plates; this member extends above the upper surface of its associated plate as Well as at right angles to the plane of the plate. This waler holding member has a waler bearing surface which, in use, bears against the inner edge of a waler. A second waler holding member is provided to cooperate, together with second clamping means, With the first waler holding member to hold a waler in place above the end section ICC of the plates and at right angles to the studs which are clamped by these plates. The waler is held between the two waler holding members.

One of the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes a spacing member attached at right angles to the inner surface of one of the plates. The spacing member positions the form clamp with respect to the studs. Preferably, the clamping means which are associated with the plates and the waler holding members include a tie member, such as a threaded pin, disposed between the plates and waler holding members. An eccentric having a handle is pivotally mounted on one end of each of the tie members in such a manner as to cooperate therewith to bear against the plate or waler holding member and force the latter into clamping contact with the studs and waler. The eccentric and pin are, therefore, fast acting both in their clamping and release action. Other embodiments employ an inwardly extending fiange on one of the plates. This flange is sized to contact the other of the plates when the clamping action of the plates with the studs has been effected. The flange is disposed outside the tie member to prevent the latters tension from causing the plates to lose their clamping action. To provide a convenient means for accommodating the waler, a slot is preferably provided in the waler bearing surface of the waler holding member which is attached to one of the plates. The waler tie member is disposed in this slot and can be vertically adjusted therein. This vertical adjustment provides an easy method for registering the tie member in the hole or slot When the tie is inserted between the two boards which comprise a waler. If desired, the plates may be held together for ease in mounting by providing a flange in overlapping contact with and outside the flange described above. A fastener is employed to hold these iianges together, preferably in such a manner as to provide for adjustment in the plates lateral spacing.

Among the advantages of the subject concrete form clamp is the facility of its use. Adjacent studs are clamped together through the action of the plates while a waler is held in place through the action of the waler holding members. Thus; all nailing is eliminated. In addition, by providing the eccentrics, the clamping action of the plate and waler holding members is readily and expeditiously applied or removed as desired. These advantages are accomplished in the device which is economical to fabricate, extremely easy to use and unobtrusive in place.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the instant invention will become more apparent from the following description, appended claims and drawings.

Brief description of the figures FIGURE 1 is a bottom view of the clamp axed to a pair of studs and a waler;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the clamp depicted in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the clamp depicted in the previous figures.

Description of the preferred embodiments With particular reference to FIGURE 3, reference numeral 10 depicts the clamp of the subject invention. Side plates 12 and 14 are disposed substantially parallel with one another. Side plate 12 terminates in an inwardly eX- tending right angle flange 16 having a transverse slot 18. Inwardly extending right angle flange 20 of plate 14 is adapted for overlapping mating relationship with ange 16. Flange 20 abuts the inner surface of plate 12 to maintain plates 12 and 14 in proper clamping position. Fastener 22 holds anges 16 and 20 together while slot 18, through which fastener 22 passes, allows for adjustment of the lateral spacing between plates 12 and 14. Hole 24 in flange 20 complements slot 18 for the receipt and retention of fastener 22. Spacing member 26 is disposed inwardly of plate 12 and is firmly attached thereto by, for example, welding. The spacing member is at right angles to plate 12 and is disposed to contact the rear face of the studs 28 and 30 to properly position clamp 10. Clamping action is provided for studs 28 and 30 by clamping means 32. The clamping means comprise threaded pin 34 which is disposed through and at right angles to plates 12 and 14. Nut 36 is threadedly engaged on the threads of pin 34 outside of plate 14. The nut bears against the outside of plate 14. By simply adjusting the position of nut 36 on the threads of pin 34, the space between plates 12 and 14 may be adjusted. At the other end of pin 34 is eccentric 38. The eccentric is pivotally secured to the pin by dowel 40. Handle 42 is attached to eccentric 38 to rotate its bearing surface with respect to plate 12. The eccentric, pin and nut, therefore, cooperate to provide the clamping force between plates 12 and 14 by simply rotating handle 42 in such a manner as to draw the plates towards one another. The plates will then be locked in place in their clamping position by virtue of the friction acting between the bearing surface of eccentric 38 and plate 12.

Waler 50, shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 in its typical form of two two-by-fours, is held in place by waler holding members 52 and 54. Waler holding member 52 is attached to the outside of plate 14, as by Welding, and extends above its upper edge as is clearly shown in FIG- URE 3. The inner surface of waler holding member 52 above the upper edge of plate 14 constitutes a waler bearing surface 56. This surface has a vertically disposed slot 58 which opens at the top of the waler holding member 52. The complementary waler holding member 54 has a centrally disposed hole 60 for receiving tie member 62. Tie member 62 is, in essence, substantially identical to tie member 34. Thus, it has a threaded end for nut 64 and extends through waler holding member 54 for the mounting of eccentric 66. Eccentric 66 is pivotally mounted on tie member 62 by a dowel 68. Handle 70 is secured to eccentric 66 to provide the leverage required to force waler holding members 52 and S4 towards each other in clamping relationship with waler 50.

The use of concrete form clamp will now be described. Two adjacent concrete form panels 80 and 82 are brought together with their studs 28 and 30 in abutting relationship. Side plates 12 and 14 are then disposed in contact with the outer lateral surfaces of studs 28 and 30. For this purpose, fastener 22 is obviously loose and eccentric 38 is pivoted such that no clamping force is applied to studs 28 and 30. When spacing member 26 contacts studs 28 and 30, eccentric 38 is rotated by handle 42 to draw plates 12 and 14 towards each other and into clamping relationship with studs 28 and 30. Flange will contact the inner surface of plate 12 to maintain this clamping relationship. Waler 50 is disposed above the end sections of plates 12 and 14 and in abutting relationship with waler bearing surface 56 of waler holding member 52. Pin 62 is inserted through hole 60 and into slot 58 between waler 50. Nut 64 is threaded onto the threads of pin 62. Handle 70 is then rotated to rotate eccentric 66 in such a fashion as to draw waler holding members 52 and 54 towards each other and into clamping relationship With the waler.

The removal of the clamp 10 is effected simply by r0- tating eccentric 38 and eccentric 66 in such a fashion as to loosen the clamping action of their cooperating members. If necessary, nuts 64 and 36 are removed to aid in the removal process. Waler holding plate 54 is then removed and the remaining portions of clamp 10 dropped away from studs 28 and 30 and waler 50.

The subject invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. The appended claims should not, however, necessarily be limited -to this description.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with concrete forms having at least two 4 l side-by-side panels, each panel having a stud along the edge which adjoins an adjacent panel, and at least one waler transverse to the studs to brace the panels, a form clamp for holding adjacent studs together and the waler in place comprising:

(a) rst and second spaced apart plates each having an inner surface adapted to bear against a lateral surface of one of a pair of adjacent studs and an end section extending outside its stud bearing surface;

(b) first clamping means associated with the end sections adapted to draw the plates into clamping relationship with the pair of studs to hold such studs t0- gether;

(c) a first Waler holding member fixed to the outside of and extending above the upper edge of one of the plates having a waler bearing surface disposed at substantially right angles to and above such plate;

(d) a second waler holding member adapted to be spaced apart from the first waler holding member by a waler; and

(e) second clamping means associated with the first and second waler holding members adapted to draw these members into clamping relationship with at least one interposed waler disposed above and transverse to the end sections of the plates and hold the waler in bracing relationship to the panels.

2. The form clamp claimed in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the first clamping means include a iirst tie member between the end sections through which the clamping action of the plates may be initiated and maintained;

(b) the second clamping means include a second tie member between the waler holding members through which the clamping action of such members may be initiated and maintained; and including (c) means for maintaining the clamping action of the plates.

3. The form clamp claimed in claim 2 wherein:

(a) the rst and second tie members respectively extend slidably through one of the end sections and one of the waler holding members to form a first tie member extension outside such one end section and a second tie member extension outside such one Waler holding member;

(b) the first clamping means include a first eccentric pivotally mounted to the extension of the first tie member and selectively operable to cooperate with such first tie member to bear against the end section through which such tie member extends to initiate and maintain the clamping action of the first and second plates; and

(c) the second clamping means include a second eccentric pivotally mounted to the extension of the second tie member and selectively operable to cooperate with such second tie member to bear against the waler holding member through which such second tie member extends to initiate and maintain the clamping action of the waler holding members.

4. The form clamp claimed in claim 3 including:

means associated with the first tie member for adjusting the spacing between the plates; and

means associated with the second tie member for adjusting the spacing between the Waler holding members.

5. The form clamp claimed in claim 4 wherein:

(a) the first clamping means include a handle on the first eccentric operable to pivot such eccentric about its pivot; and

(b) the second clamping means include a handle on the second eccentric operable to pivot such eccentric about its pivot.

6. The form clamp claimed in claim 5, including a panel spacing member attached to and extending inwardly of one of the plates at substantially a right angle thereto,

the spacing member being in position to contact the rear surface of at least one of the studs to position the form clamp with respect thereto.

7. The form clamp claimed in claim 6, wherein the means for maintaining the clamping action include a flange attached to the rst plate at right angles thereto and outside the rst tie member, the ange being sized to contact the second plate When the clamping action has been applied to the studs to maintain the plates in clamping contact with the studs.

8. The form clamp claimed in claim 7, wherein the rst waler holding member has a slot in its Waler bearing surface in which is disposed the second tie member, the slot providing a means for adjusting the position of the second tie member with respect to the waler.

9. The form clamp claimed in claim 8, wherein the second plate has a ange in overlapping relationship with the ange of the first plate and including means for adjustably securing these anges together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,879,576 3/1959 Imonetti 249-192 2,940,153 6/1960 Allen 249-219 2,964,294 12/1960 Imonetti 249-219 3,163,911 1/1965 Kenney 249-219 WILLIAM I. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

D. W. JONES, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

